फलदाता नरो गच्छेत्त्रिदिवं च द्विजोत्तम । भुंक्ते कल्पसहस्राणि फलं तत्रामृतोपमम्
O best of Brāhmaṇas, a person who gives fruit goes to heaven and enjoys there for a thousand ages, tasting nectar-like rewards.
शाकं यच्छति यो मर्त्यो शिवस्यभवनं द्विज । याति कल्पद्वयं भुंक्ते दुर्ल्लभं पायसं सुरैः
A mortal who gives vegetables, O Brāhmaṇa, goes to the abode of Śiva, enjoys there for two ages, and partakes of rare rice pudding enjoyed by the gods.
घृतदो दधिदश्चैव तक्रदो दुग्धदस्तथा । विष्णोर्निकेतनं गत्वा सुधापानं करोति सः
Whoever gives ghee, curd, buttermilk, or milk, goes to the abode of Viṣṇu and drinks nectar there.
गंधदः पुष्पदश्चैव मर्त्यो याति सुरालयम् । तिष्ठेद्युगसहस्राणि गंधपुष्पविभूषितः
A mortal who gives fragrance or flowers goes to the abode of the gods and remains for a thousand ages, adorned with fragrance and flowers.
शय्यादानं दानसारं ब्राह्मणाय ददाति यः । स याति ब्रह्मसदनं पर्य्यंके शेरते चिरम्
Whoever gives a bed, the best of gifts, to a Brāhmaṇa, goes to the abode of Brahmā and rests on a couch for a long time.
पीठदाता दीपदाता सर्वदुष्कृतवर्जितः । स्वर्गे सिंहासने तिष्ठेज्ज्वलद्दीपावलीवृतः
One who gives a seat or a lamp, free from all evil deeds, remains in heaven on a lion-throne, surrounded by shining rows of lamps.
तांबूलं यो नरो दद्याद्भूमिं भुंक्तेऽखिलां सुखम् । स्वर्गे देवांगनाक्रोडे सुप्तस्तांबूलमत्ति वै
A man who gives betel enjoys all happiness on earth; in heaven, he eats betel while resting in the embrace of celestial maidens.
विद्यादानं दानवरं करोति यो नरोत्तमः । प्रेत्य स सन्निधिं विष्णोस्तिष्ठेद्युगशतत्रयम्
O best of men, one who gives the supreme gift of knowledge, after death, stands in the presence of Viṣṇu for three hundred ages.
प्राप्य ज्ञानं ततस्तत्र दुर्ल्लभं वै द्विजर्षभ । दुर्ल्लभं मोक्षमाप्नोति श्रीहरेः कृपया द्विज
Having attained that knowledge there, which is truly difficult to obtain, O best of twice-born, one attains the rare liberation by the grace of Lord Hari, O twice-born.
अनाथं दुःखितं विप्रं पाठयेद्वै नरोत्तमः । श्रीहरेर्भवनं याति पुनर्जन्मविवर्जितः
A noble person who has a destitute and suffering Brahmin recite (scripture) will go to the abode of Lord Hari, free from rebirth.
यो नरः पुस्तकं दद्याद्भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः । प्रतिवर्णं लभेत्पुण्यं कपिलाकोटिदानजम्
Whoever gives a book, endowed with devotion and faith, receives merit for every syllable equal to the merit of giving ten million cows.
मधुदो गुडदश्चैव मर्त्यो यातीक्षुसागरम् । लवणप्रदो नरो याति वारुणं लोकमेव च
A mortal who gives honey or jaggery will go to the ocean of sugarcane; a giver of salt will indeed go to the world of Varuna.
सर्वेषामेव दानानामन्नं वारि द्विजोत्तम । तत्त्वज्ञैर्मुनिभिः सर्वैः प्रवरं वै प्रकीर्त्तितम्
Of all gifts, O best of twice-born, food and water have been declared by all wise sages as the highest.
अन्नं वारि द्विजश्रेष्ठ येन दत्तं महीतले । तेन दत्तानि दानानि सर्वाणि च द्विजर्षभ
O foremost of Brahmins, by whomsoever food and water are given on earth, by that act all gifts are considered to have been given, O best of twice-born.
अन्नदो यो नरो विप्र प्राणदश्च प्रकीर्त्तितः । तस्मात्समस्तदानानामन्नदो लभते फलम्
O Brahmin, the giver of food is also called the giver of life; therefore, among all gifts, the giver of food obtains the fruit of all.
यथाचान्नं तथा वारि द्वे तुल्ये च प्रकीर्त्तिते । वारिणा च विना चान्नं सिद्धं न स्याद्द्विजोत्तम
Just as with food, so with water—both are declared to be equal; but, O best of twice-born, without water, food cannot be perfected.
क्षुधा तृषा द्विज व्याघ्र द्वे च तुल्ये प्रकीर्त्तिते । अतश्चान्नं च तोयं च श्रेष्ठं प्रोक्तं बुधैरपि
Hunger and thirst, O Brahmin, are both said to be equal; therefore, food and water are declared by the wise to be the best.
अन्नदानं क्षितौ ब्रह्मन्ये कुर्वंति नरोत्तमाः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ता गच्छंति हरिमंदिरम्
The best of men who give food on earth to the worthy, being freed from all sins, go to the abode of Hari.
यावंत्यन्नानि भो विप्र यच्छति क्षितिमंडले । ब्रह्महत्याश्च तावंत्यो नश्यंत्येव तपोधन
O Brahmin, as many meals as one gives on earth, just so many acts of Brahmin-slaying are destroyed, O possessor of austerity.
यच्छतां चान्नदानानि शरीराणि च पातकम् । गात्राणि गृह्णतां त्यक्त्वा सहसा यांति शौनक
For those who give gifts of food, the sins attached to their bodies depart at once as they receive new bodies, O Shaunaka.
अतः पापिष्ठ चान्नानि न गृह्णंति मनीषिणः । गृह्णंति मोहाद्ये मूढा भवंति पापभागिनः
Therefore, O most sinful, the wise do not accept food from the wicked; those who accept it out of delusion, being fools, become sharers in sin.
कुर्याद्भूमिष्ठमुदकं चैकं भो द्विजसत्तम । सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तो व्रजेत्स हरिमंदिरम्
O best of twice-born, whoever gives even a single offering of water on earth, being freed from all sins, goes to the abode of Hari.
प्रयत्नेन द्विजश्रेष्ठ कर्त्तव्यो धनसंचयः । संचितं च धनं ब्रह्मन्दानकर्मणि विक्षिपेत्
O best of Brahmins, one should diligently accumulate wealth, and the wealth thus gathered should be used for the act of giving to Brahmins.
रणंति ये च कार्पण्याद्धनं ते चातिदुःखिनः । अंते सर्वधनं त्यक्वा निःस्वा गच्छंति भो मुने
Those who, out of miserliness, hoard wealth are extremely unhappy; in the end, abandoning all their wealth, they depart from this world destitute, O sage.
मानवा ये सदा दानं दत्त्वा दत्त्वा दरिद्रति । दरिद्रास्तेन विज्ञेया नरलोके महेश्वराः
Those people who, having given and given in charity, always become poor—know them to be poor in the world of men, O great lords.
परलोके द्विजव्याघ्र साधुसंयमवर्जिते । निर्दये बंधुहीने च न दत्तं नोपतिष्ठते
O tiger among twice-born, in the other world, where there is no good conduct or self-restraint, where there is no compassion and no relatives, what is not given does not follow one.
स्थिते धने नरो यो वै नाश्नाति न ददाति सः । दरिद्र इव विज्ञेयः प्रेत्य निश्वासमुत्सृजेत्
A man who, though possessing wealth, neither enjoys it nor gives it away, should be regarded as poor, and, after death, he departs with a sigh.
तपसोऽपि वरं दानं प्रोक्तं च तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । अतो यत्नाद्द्विजश्रेष्ठ दानकर्म समाचरेत्
Donation is said by those who know the truth to be superior even to austerity; therefore, O best of twice-born, one should diligently perform acts of giving.
दाता दानं न दद्याद्वै समुत्सृज्य द्विजातये । स याति निरयं घोरं सर्वजंतुभयावहम्
If a donor, having resolved to give, does not give a gift to a Brahmin, he goes to a dreadful hell, terrifying to all beings.
दानं दाता प्रतिग्राही न स्मरेच्च न याचते । निरये चोभयोर्वासो यावच्चंद्र दिवाकरौ
Neither the donor nor the recipient should recall or request a gift; otherwise, both dwell in hell as long as the moon and sun endure.